The coupler tool aligns two copper pipe ends relative to each other and slides a coupler from one pipe to a position centered on two adjacent pipe ends in response to force manually applied to the tool.
Two copper pipes in a piping system are installed by first cleaning the outside surfaces on both pipe ends and cleaning the inside surfaces of a pipe coupler. Flux is applied to the clean surfaces. The coupler is slid onto the cleaned end of one of the two pipes until a stop surface inside the pipe coupler contacts an end surface of the pipe and prevents further telescopic movement of the pipe coupler relative to the pipe. The cleaned end of the other pipe is then inserted into the free end of the pipe coupler until its end surface contacts the stop surface. The coupler and the pipe ends are then heated to a temperature sufficient to melt solder and solder is inserted into the voids between the outer surfaces of the pipes and inside surfaces of the pipe coupler to form a joint that does not leak. This procedure is relatively easy when a new pipe installation is being made and one of the two pipes has a free end thereby allowing one of the two pipes to be moved axially into the coupler.
Plumbers and pipe fitters frequently encounter situations when modifying or repairing a pipe system that requires coupling two ends of two pipes each of which has one end that is connected to other pipes and cannot be moved parallel to its long axis. The ends of the two pipes that need to be connected are often in a confined space such as between two floor joists or two wall studs. Such pipes are generally connected by moving the free ends of the pipes out of axial alignment with each other and sliding a pipe coupler, without an internal pipe stop, on one of the pipes until the pipe extends completely through the coupler and then moving the two pipe ends back into axial alignment with each other. Once the two adjacent pipe ends are in axial alignment, the coupler is moved axially to a position in which the coupler telescopically receives both pipes and the pipe end surfaces of both pipes are positioned substantially midway between the coupler ends. The coupler and the pipe ends are then heated and solder is inserted into the joints as explained above.
The process for connecting two pipe ends using a coupler without an internal pipe stop, as described above, appears to be relatively simple and straightforward. In practice it is difficult. The copper pipes, that are referred to as rigid copper pipes, have substantial spring in them and tend to return to an out of alignment unloaded position any time manual forces applied to align the pipe ends, are released. A plumbers helper is not always available to hold the pipe ends in alignment while the plumber attempts to slide the pipe coupler into place. The cut ends of pipes are deformed somewhat when the pipes are cut to length. Couplers are also frequently deformed somewhat during their production and handling. As a result of the deformation and friction, some force is generally required to slide a coupler into a position centered with the ends of two pipes after the two pipes are aligned with each other. Applying force to the coupler can damage the coupler.
The copper pipe coupler tool for positioning pipe couplers on adjacent ends of copper pipes includes a tool body having an outside surface, a first end and a second end. A tool body central axis passes through the first end and the second end. A first primary bore section, that is coaxial with the tool body central axis, extends into the tool body from the first end and has a first primary bore diameter that is substantially the same diameter as an outside diameter of pipes that are to be coupled. A second primary bore section, that is coaxial with the tool body central axis, extends into the tool body from the second end and has a second primary bore diameter that is substantially the same diameter as the outside diameter of pipes that are to be coupled. A secondary bore that is coaxial with the tool body central axis extends axially from the first primary bore section to the second primary bore section and has a secondary bore diameter that is substantially the same diameter as the outside diameter of pipe couplers with inside coupler bore diameters that are substantially the same diameter as the first primary bore diameter and the second primary bore diameter. A secondary bore first end wall, that is transverse to the tool body central axis, extends radially inward from the secondary bore to the first primary bore section and forms a first coupler end wall contact surface. A secondary bore second end wall that is transverse to the tool body central axis, extends radially inward from the secondary bore to the second primary bore section and forms a second coupler end wall contact surface. A slot in the tool body extends axially from the first end to the second end and includes a first slot portion that extends radially outward from the first primary bore section through the outside surface and has a first slot minimum width that is less than the first primary bore diameter, a second slot portion that extends radially outward from the second primary bore section through the outside surface and having a second slot minimum width that is less than the second primary bore diameter, and a central slot portion that extends radially outward from the second bore through the outside surface and having a central slot minimum width that is less than the secondary bore diameter. The tool body is made from a material with sufficient resilience to permit pipes that are to be coupled to pass through the central slot portion in response to manually applied force.